Breaking: The quarterback for the Bengals, 23, declines a five-year, $260 million deal from the Saints.
The highest-paid players in the league at each position make up the 2023 NFL All-Paid Team. It’s practically an All-Pro team, but for the moment, money talks louder than talent or history.
We will use average per year (APY) since it is the most widely recognized metric for comparing player contracts. Furthermore, because of the fixed nature of their wages, players who were awarded the franchise tag are not eligible.
Please use our free agency and contract glossary to get clarification on any words in this article.
Jackson struck a five-year, $260 million deal without using an agent, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history at $52 million a season. Playing out his fifth-year option and making the Ravens franchise tag him this offseason was the unanimous 2019 NFL MVP pick, and he came out on top.
With 4,437 career yards, Jackson is fifth all-time among quarterback rushing backs despite having played in just 70 NFL games. Those who have played more than twice as many games as he has include Russell Wilson (173), Randall Cunningham (161), Michael Vick (143 games), and Cam Newton (148 games). Although Jackson was believed to have had a bad year as a passer last year, he nonetheless led all eligible quarterbacks in completion rate.
In the end, it all comes down to wins and losses. Since 1970, only Jackson, with a.738 record (45-16), has won a greater percentage of his career games (minimum 25 starts) than Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, and Roger Staubach combined.
How attractive does Mahomes’ 10-year, $450 million contract with the Chiefs currently appear? It’s a great deal. The takeaway from this is to lock up your quarterback as soon as possible if you have faith in him. It would have been prudent for the Bengals and Chargers to finalize their agreements with Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, respectively, prior to the completion of Jalen Hurts and Jackson’s contracts.
Why is the O-line receiving so much investment and draft capital? That’s the fundamental basis of both an offensive and, to a considerable degree, a team.
With the three-year, $75 million agreement that the Texans granted Tunsil in March, he was once again the highest-paid offensive tackle in the National Football League. PFF ranked Tunsil as the top pass blocker in 2022. For a team that knew it would be acquiring a young quarterback in the draft, locking him in was the right decision. (C.J. Stroud was chosen by the Texans at No. 2 overall.)
Nelson has dominated since on the field in the NFL. Having started every game in four seasons, he has not missed a Pro Bowl selection in five seasons. His dependability will probably be a stabilizing influence.
